Recurring Mastitis - can I stop it.

[courts&munchkins]

So I am in the middle if my 3rd bout of mastitis and baby girl isn't even 3 months old yet. I knew she wasn't great at draining the breast. But I actually thought she was getting better at it. My boobs were feeling soft after a feed and little miss was actually fairly happy and settled. And then a couple of days ago I became really engorged. I don't even know why I became so engorged. It was seriously like milk first coming in engorged. Anyway so the last couple of days dd hasn't drained well, boobs feel just as full afterwards as they did when she started. And so once again I end up with mastitis. One boob is worse than the other but they are both infected.

Is there any way I can stop it from happening. I am really over the mastitis. I don't know if dd is going ever going to be a better sucker. So how do I stop it from happening. The bouts of engorgement seem to come without warning and for no reason that I can figure out. And once the engorgement hits mastitis seems to follow straight after.

[onthefly]

Have you tried ultrasound or massage?

[courts&munchkins]

Have you tried ultrasound or massage?

What could ultrasound do for it??? and by massage do you mean me massaging it. I do all the time, every feed actually to try and get the milk flowing better for dd so that she can feed properly. What else can I do to massage it?

[courts&munchkins]

Though I haven't been great at the massage today even though I am sure it needs it. They freaking hurt to touch though lol.

[onthefly]

some physios offer special ultrasound therapy which helps to remove blockages or something... sorry, not sure on details. I'm sure I've read about it on BB though, so there must be someone out there who knows.

[Aligater]

Is bub ataching properly as I had the same problem (gave up BF at 7 weeks with DD1 due to it) and found her attachment wasnt correct a LC might be ably to help and to give some more ideas how to prevent it

[starangelk]

I had a remedial breast massage and my mastitis never came back. Where abouts are you located?

[Traveller]

This happened to a friend of mine, and it turned out her baby had a posterior tongue tie that was affecting her sucking. Have you had your baby's mouth checked to see if there is an issue like that which is affecting her?

[courts&munchkins]

Yeah she does have a posterior tongue tie and a lip tie, she has a terrible latch and sucking problem. I live in a small town out west Qld though so finding someone who will snip it is near on impossible. I'm on a list for an oral surgeon who we have to travel 6hrs to see. Who knows when that will happen.

In the meantime we are working with a speech therapist and a bowen therapist to try and improve her latch. Not doing much though. I have seen 2 LC's, one who specialises in tongue tie. Neither of them could help me latch her better.

The problem is so obvious but I can't get it fixed so just looking too see if there is anything I can do even though we have all these issues.

I doubt our physios have ultrasounds or anything but I can ask.

[starangelk]

Give the massage a go, you'll need to use oil and get some warm facewashers. Put the warm facewashers on your breasts and then massage them in long strokes, not just your breasts but all the way into your arm pits and sides. I think the idea is to get rid of the lumps and drain the lymph nodes. It WILL be painful but it will help you. Good luck hun

[Kmn]

Almost all physios have ultrasounds - they are usually used for muscle pains and aches!
And it does really help.
Very boring, but also check that you're not getting squashed by your bra or anything like that, because that can irritate the ducts too.
Ibuprofen is useful for mastitis pain, and safe at the standard dose while feeding.

[surprised]

I second the ultrasound. The vibrations clear any blocks that a poorly sucking baby can't. And yes, it's done with a normal physio treatment ultrasound - I'm sure one of the local physios could do some research so they knew how to treat with it.

Mastitis sucks hun. Big hugs and good on you for hanging in there! xox